


Cats in the Cradle

by DKaneanite



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: BAMF Heath Slater, BAMF Pac| Adrian Neville, M/M, Mob AU, murder husbands AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25458952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DKaneanite/pseuds/DKaneanite
Relationships: Pac | Adrian Neville/Heath Slater
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

He wasn't one that drew out jobs, he tracked his kills, dispatched them, then disposed of the body and all evidence and finally sent confirmation of the job completed before dropping off the face of the earth until he's needed again. However this job required a bit more finesse; it wasn't often he was tasked with the hunting down one of his own. 

Sitting at the bar he nursed his drink, his thumb scrolling through the short text thread before landing on the embedded picture. Dark hair framed pale skin and intense dark eyes. It was a face he remembered all too well. A small smile worked its way across his lips as he sunk into his first memory of the man. 

_Fancy dinner parties were not his thing. Especially when he was ordered to dress properly for the gathering in the outfit that was delivered by roomservice. With a scowl on his face he played with the cuff of the crisp white button up shirt before moving up to toy with the emerald silk tie. All together he felt trussed up and restrained and there weren't enough words to express how much he hated it._

_Nose still crinkled he slipped through the gathered mass of bodies his hand reaching to his side where his dagger was securely sheathed just under his arm. His eyes wandered over the assembled group before landing on the tall imposing figure of the man he'd been told to quietly tail throughout the night. His scowl reappeared as he took quick stock of the men that surrounded him; his hand stealing inside of his suit jacket and tightening on the pommel of his dagger as he slowly crept closer._

_"Ah! There you are."_

_The words were coupled with a heavy hand on his shoulder and he whirled around with a snarl on his lips and his dagger glinting dangerously in his hand. He had been about to slash out in defense but reigned it in when he realized who was behind him._

_"Sonvabitch Barrett. I coulda disemboweled you in seconds flat. I need to put a damn bell on you so I can tell when you're around."_

_His lips were still curled in a scowl even as he slipped his dagger back into it sheath and straightened his jacket even as he cast a quick look around them to see if anyone had seen his actions. Thankfully it seemed like no one had seen him and he allowed his posture to relax slightly._

_"But where's the fun in that?" A smirked played on the other man's lips as his eyes traveled up and down his frame. "I must say you look dashing in your suit tonight. That tie, it brings out your eyes."_

_"Can it Barrett. You know you picked this out for me, and really? My eyes are brown, not a speck of green in them." He huffed as he slipped his hands into his pockets; his eyes still traveling over the crowd. "Where's Angel?"_

_"He's indisposed tonight."_

_His gaze flicked back to the taller British man, one eyebrow slightly raised._

_"Indisposed? Or _ **indisposed**_?" The difference of the words were heavily implied even if his expression was neutral._

_"Indisposed, he had certain..familial obligations to fulfill tonight."_

_He nodded before turning away again, his eyes falling on the tall man that had been his focus before Barrett had interrupted him. As if he had vocally called out the man's electric green gaze flipped over to him and held for what felt like a lifetime. It wasn't until he felt the heavy hand on his shoulder again that he pulled his eyes away; his brow furrowed angrily._

_"No scenes tonight, you are to follow him only, nothing else. You behave and for proprieties sake get your hand out of that jacket and away from that dagger before I make you remove it!"_

_He growled softly as he removed his hand and resolutely turned his back on the other man. He'd get him later as everyone left. The hand moved from his shoulder to his lower back and propelled him through the crowd._

_"Come I have someone for you to meet."_

_"Barrett I'm not in the mood to meet anyone right now."_

_"Too bad."_

_His sour mood turned even further south but the steady hand on him kept him from turning away to lose himself in the crowd. They were stopped a couple of times and he stood quietly as the larger man answered question after question before they were allowed to continue their trek. Their path found them on the outskirts of the crowd by the door standing next to a short dark haired, bespectacled man. His eyes moved over the unassuming man before flicking over to his companion.  
"Heath I'd like you meet Adrian.Our new...liaison..."_

_"Pleasure." The man held his hand out, his voice soft and accented as he looked between the two taller men.  
"Just wait, it'll be annoyance before too long."_

_Barrett nudged him hard in the back, his eyes flashing warning. "I said behave."_

_He turned a smile to the Adrian, shaking his head. "Ignore him. He has manners but like all American's only choose to use it sparingly."_

_"Listen I didn't come here to be insulted Barrett."_

_The words were growled as he stared at the taller man, his own eyes flashing now. Not that it seemed to affect the other man as he continued on as if Heath had not spoken up at all._

_"Still I will be putting the two of you together for the foreseeable future. He might be gruff and uncouth but Heath is one of my best and he will be more than enough to bring you not only up to speed but provide you the type of protection you require."_

_"Protection duty?! Wade!"_

_"Not a word, you have your assignment. I suggest you make the most of it."_

_Those were the taller man's parting words as he disappeared into the throng of people; leaving the two of them staring at each other for long moments._

A grin crossed his lips as he lifted his glass back to his lips and sipped slowly, relishing the smooth burn of the amber liquid as it slid down his throat. That had to be the most awkward night of his life; standing next to the shorter man until the end of the event. He hadn't even gotten to engage with the older green-eyed man he was told to tail that night, never found out why he was there in the first place as he had no business on the grounds. 

The sound of a bell caught his attention and he looked over to the door watching as new patrons filed into the establishment those wanting food waited to be seated while others made their way to the bar. He was the last one to enter and the small grin grew into a dark smile; tonight was going to be fun. 

Tossing back the rest of his drink he glanced at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar, running his fingers through his close cropped hair before standing. Smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles from his shirt he toned down the smile on his lips before he wandered over to the side of the counter where the other man was seated. 

"Is this seat taken?" His words were spoken softly and he had to fight back the snort of laughter that wanted to erupt at the other man's startled jump. 

Hazel eyes rounded on him and the man's mouth opened and closed wordlessly before he squared his shoulders. 

"Of course not. Free country and all that." 

He slid into the spot and leaned against the counter, resting his chin on his fist as he let his eyes travel over the other man, a pleasant memory tugging at the back of his mind that he would pull out later and examine once he was alone. His gaze must have lingered too long because the other man arched an eyebrow at him before wiping at his face slightly.

"Did I have something?" The words trailed off as the other man wiped at his face, his nose crinkled in a show of annoyance before he spoke again. "Did I get it?

Heath nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah man, you got it." His tongue flicked out to wet his suddenly dry lips as his eyes glanced down and then back up again quickly and a slight blush moved over his cheeks. "So..uh you waiting on anyone..."  


The man rolled his shoulder, looking over at him for a long minute as if he was trying to place him and honestly if Heath wasn't on a job he'd feel insulted that he wasn't remembered but for the issue at hand it worked. He lightly ran his finger around the rim of his glass as he waited, his cocked to the side and what he hoped was an innocent expression on his face. After a few more minutes of taunt silence the man shook his head, huffing softly as he picked up his own glass. 

"No..I was hoping to run into an old friend here. I had been told he frequents here, apparently tonight is not a night where he's going to show."

Eyebrow arched Heath wondered idly who the other man was wanting to meet but he pushed it away and slipped just a bit closer to the other man, his voice soft as his eyes roamed over the man's face. Though years had passed he still felt the same curl of attraction in his gut and he as he was back then he couldn't keep the playful flirtations out of his voice. Even if the other man still didn't catch them. 

"I may not be your friend but I can keep you company if you wish." 

"I couldn't ask that of you, surely you're waiting for someone of your own?"

"Nah, and don't call me Shirley." 

At the confused look on the other man's face he laughed, the sound welling up from the pit of his stomach and radiating outwards. The sounds pulls eyes their way but he can't be bothered with them, the smile on his lips reflected in his eyes as he watches the other man. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy drawing this job out for as long as he could.


	2. Chapter 2

For weeks Heath kept visiting the bar sometimes sitting with Adrian and chatting amicably and other times watching from afar. So far the hob had taken three times the amount of time he normally used and it hadn't escaped his superiors notice. Anger and frustration over the thorough chewing out he'd received hours ago still swirled on repeat in his mind to the point that everything else was blocked out. So thoroughly in fact that didn't hear Adrian calling his name over and over again so when the man placed a hand on his shoulder Heath reacted out of habit. 

Grabbing the offending appendage he whirled around, forcing the man's arm behind his back as his free hand reached for the blade that he normally kept at his side. His hand came up empty however and he reached for the nearest object--a butter knife--and pressed the dull edged blade to the man's throat before he even realized what he was doing. Once his brain caught up with what was happening he stepped back, face pale as he looked around at the faces of the now silent patrons.

"S-Sebastian?"

Blinking owlishly he backed up even further before digging into his pockets and dropping a wad of rumpled bills on the counter and then turned on his heel and fled the building. He ran until his legs gave out and his lungs felt close to collapsing. Looking around he found himself in some sort of wooded area and he finally allowed himself to rest; his palms pressed hard against his eyes. As colors burst behind his eyelids he focused on his breathing, taking slow breaths in and then holding them for a moment before letting them out as he leaned against a tree. 

"Smooth move Miller. Now you're going to have to turn this over to someone else."

Heath growled and picked up the closest thing to him, a large rock and threw it as hard as he could, listening to it strike a tree in the distance. Huffing he ran his hands over his face and then through his hair, angry at himself for allowing himself to lose so much control of himself that he'd reaction without thinking. A snapping twig caught his attention and he spun around, eyes now wild as he tried to figure out from which direction the sound came from. 

"Hello?"

He didn't honestly expect an answer, he knew he was alone in the woods and that it could have been a stray animal but those thoughts weren't as comforting as it should have been. Writing the noise off as an animal, Heath allowed himself another deep breath tensing up instantly as another twig snapped; this one directly opposite sounding from the first one. He his hand went immediately to his side, grasping once again for his blade before he remembered that he didn't have it.

"Sonvabitch!"

He looked around for something that he could use as a weapon, cursing himself for leaving all of his own back at the hotel. There were plenty of sticks littering the ground at his feet but none that he seen that would be much use against a predator animal of any kind. The sound of yet another twig breaking had Heath spinning on his heel again. Whatever was out there was playing with him, he could tell. Snarling he spun in a circle, trying to keep his back away from whatever was stalking him in the dark. 

"C'mon out you coward! Show yourself!"

There was an increase of noises, each one closer than the last one and he felt his chest start to seize up. Swallowing he squared his shoulders, if he was going to die then he was gong to go out with dignity. Suddenly everything around him stopped, no noises of any kind echoed in the darkness and the silence was even more nerve wracking than the snapping twigs and rustling of undergrowth. Every muscle in his body tensed as he waited for whatever or whoever to emerge from the trees. 

"Well? Are you just going to stay hidden? Or are you going to show yourself?"

Nothing but more silence met him and he backed up against the tree again in an attempt to protect himself. Another snapping twig had his head swiveling to the side and he breath caught in his throat as a figure seemed to materialize from the darkness. 

"Well, well, well glad to see that somethings are still the same. Still as brash and headstrong as always Heath...or perhaps you'd prefer I call you Sebastian now."

Heath's throat went dry as he stared at the man in front of him, their gazes locked for what felt like an eternity. 

"What's the matter Heath? Cat's got your tongue? I don't remember you having this much trouble talking before? Or did you really think I was that stupid that I wouldn't recognize your face?" The man started to move towards him again, a smirk playing across his face. "I mean really now, we spent days..not to mention nights together. I couldn't forget your face if I wanted too. And then that spectacular display back in the diner, classic Heath? And really a butter knife? What were you thinking? You couldn't kill me with that, unless that's not what you're doing."

Heath swallowed, trying to find his voice but it was no use, all he could do was watch as the other man drew nearer. 

"I..uh.."

"Poor, sweet, dumb Heath. You always were a simple one. Sure you kill without thought and you are one of the best, if not THE best in the organization, but anything else that requires you to put your brain to use is lost on you and it shows."

Those words finally broke through the fugue state that Heath was in and he snarled as he took a step forward, his fist clenching at his side. 

"Mmm, I guess if you say so it must be true. After all since when does the FBI lie?" A smirk passed over his lips as he pushed off of the tree, his eyes moving from the top of the man's head to his feet and then moved back up to lock their gazes again. "Still sore about me leaving you holding the bag huh?"

A barely contained snarl erupted from the other man's throat as he lunged, his eyes wild. Anticipating the move Heath stepped to the right and gripped the man's wrist in passing, twisting the arm up behind his back and then slamming the man face first into the tree. Leaning in Heath purred smugly into the man's ear. 

"Tsk, still the same easily riled Adrian. You never learn. Even after all this time you still find yourself shoved face down into things by me." He laughed, the sound low and dark as he bit the man's earlobe harshly before giving Adrian's arm one last harsh torque before letting down and melting into the shadows as quickly as he could. 

These woods weren't the ones he's grew up, nor the ones he spent most of his down time in but he was still able to navigate them with minimal noise, and he smirked as he listened to Adrian crashing through the foliage trying to find him. Using the cover of darkness Heath veered off to the right and as quietly as he could made his way back to civilization, gathering his effects from his hotel and promptly finding another after dumping his car and procuring a new one. 

As he relaxed on the bed, arms crossed behind his head he allowed himself to smile. This was going to be quite the cat and mouse game and he couldn't wait to play.


	3. Chapter 3

For weeks he played with Adrian's head, leading him from town to town only to slip through the man's fingers at the last second. Sometimes he'd just hide in the shadows and listen as the shorter man cursed and screamed at him at the top of his lungs, other times he'd steal away, stopping only long enough to let himself into Adrian's room and take something small that Adrian would eventually notice was missing. So far he'd taken all the right foot socks and the left shoe strings from any shoes left in the room, he'd even went in one night and unwrapped all the soap and left it sitting wet on the counter. For a while he wished he had a way to put a small camera somewhere in the room so he could see Adrian's reactions but setting something like that up took too much time and with as much as he was running the other man around it wasn't feasible. So instead he started leaving notes, some teasing, some just flat out insulting. 

Please with his night's work he settled back on the tailgate of the truck he'd commandeered once he'd got into town and stared up at the stars sipping his drink. It was a quiet night, he'd only had one official job to take care of before he spent the rest of his time stringing Adrian along. Sure his higher ups were getting more and more displeased with the fact that he'd not taken Adrian out yet, but seeing as how the FBI agent was slowly unraveling before their eyes they opted to over look the time taken. After all right now Adrian was hell bent on taking Heath down and not any of the other criminals he'd been on the trail of. And if Heath felt his heart kick a bit knowing that he was the only person occupying the Agent's mind...well no one needed to know. 

With the stars taking up most of his thoughts and focus it shouldn't have been a surprise that he'd been taken unaware, Adrian's hand covering his mouth and a hand in his hair yanking him backwards until his head struck truck bed. Groaning against the warm flesh of the smaller man's hand he narrowed his eyes at Adrian, giving the man his best death stare. Still the other man had the audacity to laugh as he wrenched Heath's head to the side by the hair, a smirk on his lips as another sound clawed it's way up only to be muffled by his hand. 

"Heath..always so predictable." Adrian's voice was low and graveled in his ear and Heath fought off the shiver that wanted to work it's way down his spine. "A night like this? Knew I'd find you out on some back country road looking up at the stars. Pretty romantic for a cold blooded murder." 

Adrian's hand tightened in his hair and Heath swallowed thickly, his eyes fluttering shut as the pain curled pleasantly down his back and along all his nerve endings. Before his mind could focus on the issue at hand--namely why he couldn't get up--the hand on his mouth moved down to grip his throat and he growled lowly as a scowl twisted his lips, the expression twisting more as Adrian leaned in and chuckled in his ear. 

"Heath, Heath, Heath. We both know you wanted me to catch you here." The chuckle turned into a hard bite to Heath's throat. 

"Actually I was out here to enjoy a cold beer after a hot day." 

"Mmphm. Keep thinking that if it helps you Heath. But we both know that you wanted to be here, right where you are; pinned underneath me and gasping for breath." Adrian grazed his teeth over the column of Heath's throat again, his hand tugging on his hair again. "Just like old times."

A flush crawled over Heath's face, not only in response to Adrian's words but also at how long it took him to realize that his hands were not pinned down. Swallowing thickly, his eyes tracking the way Adrian's were glued to the movement of his adams apple as it bobbed with the action. Taking advantage of Adrian's distraction he slowly slipped one hand down until he reached the sheath on his hip. He was slightly surprised that Adrian hadn't taken it from him first after pinning him down but he wasn't going to question it. As slowly as possible he managed to pop the button holding it place and wrapped his hand around the hilt. He'd began slipping it from the leather holder when Adrian's hand tightened again on his throat. Breathing became just the wrong side of pleasurable at that point and Heath fought the urge to buck up to unseat Adrian knowing that in his current position that he wasn't going to be able to do so easily. His tongue flicked out to wet his lips as he pulled labored breaths in through his nose to combat the panic that was starting to spiral in his stomach. 

"Oh Heath. You poor, simple boy. Only you would think that that was a good idea, good thing you don't need to think all that often." 

Adrian's voice was low and Heath ground his teeth at the sound, hating the way that his body reacted. However the realization that Adrian would have to either let go of his throat or his hair to get the weapon and he had to work to keep his face neutral. Instead he started to slide the blade free, his eyes on Adrian as the man released his hair and made a grab for the knife. He used Adrian's distraction to sit up, slamming his head into the bridge of the man's nose and then shoving him backwards hard. With a strong shove he sends the smaller man backwards off the tailgate to sprawl in the dirt. 

He scrambled to his feet, rubbing his throat and jumping down to the ground and then darting around the truck and dove into the drivers seat. He gave the rear view mirror a quick look before he turned the key and gunned the engine. There were dual plumes of dirt that rose up from the back tires and Heath laughed as he tore off into the night, leaving Adrian on the ground covered in dirt. Once he was back out on the highway he took time to adjust himself, his teeth grinding at the fact that he had been caught off guard and just how easily Adrian had used his body's reactions against him. 

Seeing a rest stop he pulled in and killed the engine; he'd left his bag at the hotel so he didn't need to take anything with him. Grabbing a rag from behind the seat he wiped down everything he'd touched in the truck before leaving it sit. A rest stop wasn't the best place grab a new ride so he settled for the next best thing, hitch hiking. A few well aimed smiles and fake story of being accidentally left behind secured him a ride to the next town. As he curled up in the sleeper of the truck he finally let a smile cross his face. This would put Adrian a few days behind him as the Agent worked to find out which way he would have taken once he found the abandoned truck. His resulting dreams were sweet with revenge.


End file.
